Just a Kiss
by Nicia
Summary: After celebrating their ten year anniversary and the birth of their daughter, spring cleaning takes a naughty turn, with not so clean results… Collab between GSDM Canada and Nicia. Written for the DCM Spring Squeezing competition. We placed 2nd in the judge's choice and won the 'Steamiest' award. Rated M for a reason.


**Contest:** Spring Squeezing Fanfiction Contest.

**Collab between GSDM Canada and Nicia**

**Title: **Just a Kiss.

**Prompt Numbers: **Word #7 'Just a Kiss' and picture #9.

**Link to prompts: **dirtycheekymonkeys (dot) blogspot (dot) com / p / spring-squeezing-writing-contest (dot) html

**Rating: **M

**Word Count: **8746 words.

**Summary: **After celebrating their ten year anniversary and the birth of their daughter, spring cleaning takes a naughty turn, with not so clean results… A light-hearted o/s for the DCM Spring Squeezing competition. Rated M for lemons.

**Character and/or Pairing: **CarlislexEsme

**Warnings and Disclaimer: **We do not own Twilight, any of the characters or its content. All we own is this plot and what our creative minds have delivered for you to read and hopefully enjoy!

_**Remember to go read the other entries! **__www (dot) fanfiction (dot) net/ ~springsqueezingcontest_

_**Also follow us on Twitter: **__SpringSqueezing_

**A.N. **This is our first foray into Twilight fanfiction, as an entry for the DCM Spring Squeezing competition, so we hope that you'll enjoy what we've come up with. Huge hugs, kisses and thanks to **Breath-of-twilight** for her amazing beta skills and feedback despite being sent this at the last minute!

In the competition we placed 3rd in the judges vote and also won the 'Steamiest' award.

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_~ It's spring fever. That is what the name of it is. And when you've got it, you want - oh, you don't quite know what it is you __do__ want, but it just fairly makes your heart ache, you want it so! -Mark Twain. ~_

* * *

**Prologue.**

**Jasper POV.**

* * *

I smoothed out the crinkles in my dress shirt nervously, and smiled with relief when Alice re-entered the room and handed me a glass filled with something fizzy. We'd been dating for a month now, and this was our first 'official' outing as a couple, so that I could get to know her work colleagues in a more… appropriate social setting.

I was a newbie bartender at The Twilight Lounge, which was a bar in Forks, Washington, and was still learning the ropes and getting to know the other staff. I'd met Alice on my first night behind the bar, had gotten her drink order wrong three times in a row, and had gaped as she'd giggled and passed me her number over the table top. She was a nurse by day and studying to be a cosmetologist by night. My persistent drink mess ups hadn't put her off though, and here we were, a month later, and as corny as it sounded, head over heels in love with each other.

A small sip from my glass revealed my drink to be cherryade, and I smiled, sending a prayer of thanks heavenwards that she hadn't actually spiked my drink like she'd threatened to do, so that I'd 'loosen up'. Despite being a bartender, I didn't actually drink. I had a charismatic enough personality without any outwards influences, and once I consumed even the smallest measure of alcohol, my senses went into overdrive, picking up on even the slightest change in people's demeanors. I groaned internally as I remembered why I'd moved to Forks in the first place. I'd gone out for a meal with a group of friends, and my ex, Maria. Two of my friends were feeling a bit… frisky, and the bottle of wine we'd all split during dinner didn't help things. Their flirting and teasing had made me feel as though white hot lust was pumping through my veins, leading to some very kinky, very hot, crazy sex with Maria, that lead to the worst hangover and a ton of guilt the next morning when she hadn't taken too kindly to the fact that I didn't want to re-start our relationship.

"So tell me again, why are we here?"

Alice giggled as she grasped my elbow and steered me from the dining room we'd been stood in, into the front room, where the crowd was thicker.

"Seven years ago when I was twenty two, I started as an intern, at Forks' hospital. That's how I met Bella. She was a trainee nurse like I was, but she wanted to become a doctor."

I nodded and smiled. "I've heard this story many times, Alice."

She nodded back. "I know, but this time I'm not talking about me. I'm explaining why we're here, in this little house, in the suburbs for a party where you hardly know anyone."

"I thought it was so that I got to know the rest of your colleagues?"

"It is, but we could have done that at the pub." She smiled and pushed up on her tiptoes to kiss my cheek, "To continue what I was saying, five and a half years ago, a new doctor joined our branch. Carlisle Cullen, and he moved here with his wife, Esme. They moved here for a fresh start, like you did, and hoped that a change of scenery would help them personally. Their story starts fifteen years ago, when she was eighteen. Esme was from Forks originally, but she moved to England to do her university studies there."

My eyes widened. "That takes guts, to move to a completely new country at such a young age." I let out a low whistle. "She's brave."

Alice nodded. "She is, but unfortunately things didn't go so well for her when she got there. She was homesick a lot, and her parents wanted her to come back. But she stuck it out and continued on with her course. But in her final year, she got really sick," Alice paused and sadness flitted across her dainty features.

My breath caught. "What happened?"

"She had stomach aches, and she was bloated a lot. She felt nauseous and her eating habits changed. She thought that she was pregnant, but went to the doctors to get it checked out. It was a good thing she did – it turned out that she had ovarian cancer at the age of twenty one."

I gaped, and Alice nodded. "That's where she met Carlisle. He was the doctor who diagnosed her and talked her through everything that would happen. The procedures, the surgery she'd go through to remove the ovary with the malignant tumor, all of the different things she'd have to go through. He was the one who had to inform her that having one of her ovaries removed, and that simply having ovarian cancer greatly reduced her chances of ever conceiving a child. That knowledge almost crushed her. Carlisle was her support system the entire time, which started to cause problems. In the end, he asked to have her referred to his friend, Aro." I nodded, recognizing the name. He was a world renowned surgeon. "Aro was fine with it, but their superiors weren't."

She paused again, and I huffed impatiently. "You're enjoying your chance at playing the storyteller, aren't you? Why did he ask for her to be reassigned, and what did he do when they turned him down?"

Alice's answer was simple. "He threatened to quit, filled out his resignation papers and everything. His boss refused to accept his resignation and asked why he was acting so erratically."

"And why was he?" The story wasn't making sense to me, and Alice apparently found that funny.

"He said Esme was driving him crazy and he couldn't be her doctor any more. He _couldn't_ work with her any longer. His boss called Esme and Aro into the room to see if they'd agree to the switch since Carlisle wouldn't say any more on the matter. As soon as they'd said that they were okay with it, he asked Esme to marry him."

My eyes practically bugged out my head. "He what?"

"Everyone else had the same reaction. They thought he had literally gone crazy. Nevertheless, he asked her to marry him. He said that he couldn't go another day, just being her doctor and missing out on the chance to be with her personally. He knew that she was the woman for him, and he wasn't going to let his job get in the way of his future. He wanted to support her as her husband, not as though she was just another patient. All he needed to be happy with his life was Esme, but he hadn't known that until she entered it."

"And then what happened?"

Alice grinned brightly, and then pointed to the two figures that had entered the room. I recognized the man as Carlisle from his description, but I didn't know the woman beside him. She was almost a foot shorter than he was, with shoulder length, caramel brown hair, slightly tanned skin, and a curvy, yet motherly figure. She was beautiful, naturally so, and she seemed to just… glow as she laughed at something he said and allowed his hand at her back to steer her further into the room.

Alice's friend, Bella, moved towards them and placed a little baby girl into the Carlisle's outstretched arms as the woman carefully kissed the baby's chubby cheek and smoothed her messy curls.

"They got married a year later, a few months after her twenty-second birthday. Today is their tenth wedding anniversary." She grinned triumphantly. "They had Aylin four months ago."

* * *

**Esme POV.**

* * *

"The baby is hungry. I'm just going to slip into the kitchen for a bottle," he whispered into my ear before I felt his lips against the tender flesh of my neck, just below my earlobe. I smiled, unable to contain a giggle, and turned to find him already walking away and disappearing into the crowd.

"Oh! What a beautiful dress!" Bella smiled happily as she approached with a champagne glass in hand. "I haven't seen this one, have I?"

I shook my head. "It was a gift from Carlisle."

She gave me a warm smile. "Of course it was."

It was a beautiful dress made from black silk with little capped sleeves that fell just over my shoulders and a low V-neck. The hem rested at my knee, and there was a light lace floral overlay. I haven't worn a dress in months, since having Aylin, due to the fact they were never really baby friendly, but, tonight Carlisle insisted I wore something a little more elegant than my usual jeans I had been wearing. I wore my hair up into a neat side bun below my left ear, but had small strands of my bangs falling loose since they didn't want to cooperate with me. I even had the diamond studs Carlisle bought me for our first anniversary in my ears. Aylin was very fond of them when I held her, although I wasn't sure if it was because they were shiny or because she wanted to put them in her mouth.

I fiddled with the bracelet around my wrist as I gazed at Bella. She was Edward's wife, Carlisle's close friend and fellow doctor, and she was beautiful. Her hair was brown and fell in luscious waves around her heart shaped face. Her chocolate brown eyes were surrounded by thick lashes, and her soft lips were pulled up into a small smile. She wore a simple white dress with thick straps and a square neckline that fell just above her knee complete with a black waist belt. She wore black heels, too, and had her grandmother's old clutch purse in one hand. I had gone out shopping with her when she bought this dress less than a few months ago. It was one of Aylin's first shopping trips, actually.

"Where did Daddy run off to?" Bella questioned, and she sipped her champagne and glanced around the living room we were in.

"Kitchen," I explained. "Aylin was fussing, and he went to give her a bottle."

Bella smiled. "Oh, she's so sweet. I can't wait until the girls can play together."

I smiled, and nodded. She and Edwards had a daughter, Renesmee, who was four.

"Where is Nessie anyways?" I asked noticing how Bella was childless.

"Hmm? Oh. Edward has her. I think she's playing with Vera."

I nodded again. Vera was Rosalie and Emmett's daughter who was turning two within a few weeks. I had met Rose a few years ago in the hospital waiting room after her husband, Emmett, was attacked by a bear. I was having lunch with Carlisle in his office at the time before he and Edward left to the OR. While I was leaving I found Rose wandering around, a complete wreck, in the waiting room. So, naturally I comforted her. We got talking over the weeks Emmett spent in the hospital, and became close friends after he was released, too.

"Well, don't you look beautiful, Esme." Charlie said as he approached us. Charlie Swan was Bella's father and Chief of Police. He was a taller man with graying brown hair and the same brown eyes Bella had. His mustache had little slivers of grey woven into the brown, and he had lines around his eyes from age. He wore a dark pair of jeans and a button down shirt, that wasn't tucked into his waist band, but, for Charlie Swan, that was as dressed up as he ever got.

I smiled at him and kissed both sides of his cheeks, as he did mine. "Thank you Charlie."

"Congratulations, too. Ten years is a long time."

I nodded. "Yes, it is. I forget about it sometimes, to be honest. I don't feel my age."

"'Your age'." Bella laughed.

I rolled my eyes at her as Charlie spoke. "So where is the little Princess? I wanted to say hello to her and Carlisle."

"In the kitchen. Hold on. I can get them."

He smiled and looked towards his daughter. "Where's my granddaughter?"

She laughed and hugged him tightly. "With your son-in-law, Dad."

I turned to go, but saw Charlie kissing Bella's temple before murmuring something I couldn't hear as I slipped into the crowd.

There were a lot of people in our house. Most were family and friends, but I did recognize some of Carlisle's co-workers from the times I attended Christmas parties or New Year's parties. I gained smiles from some, and were stopped by others to be congratulated on my marriage as I made my way towards the kitchen. The amount of people seemed to dwindle down as the further away from the living room I got. By the time I actually reached the kitchen, no one was there except for Carlisle and Aylin. I watched in awe for a moment as father and daughter interacted together without knowing I was near. I always loved watching Carlisle handling Aylin. Carlisle leaned up against the counter with Aylin in the crook of his arm and the bottle in his other hand. He was gazing down at her while she fed, his face turned profile to me. His strong jaw line matched the straight line of his nose and his high cheekbones. His blonde hair was pushed out of his cool grey eyes, and swept back collect. Standing at six foot two, he appeared more like a model look alike than a doctor with his slender build and calm personality.

"I like the towel," I said, causing him to look up at me.

He smiled, and then glanced at the spit up towel draped over his shoulder and shrugged.

"How is she?" I asked walking further into the room to look down at my daughter in his arms. She looked just like me with her honey brown hair and smooth creamy skin. I could see the shape of my face in hers, and how her hands would look like mine once she was older. The only thing that wasn't mine was her eyes. She had her Daddy's cool grey ones.

"She fussed for a bit," he admitted, "but, after a few minutes, she took the bottle."

I made a face. Aylin had been fussing with her bottles for a while now, and I was starting to worry that maybe refusing to eat was a sign she was coming down with something.

"Are you sure we should let Edward and Bella take her tonight? I mean, what happens if she is sick?"

He only smiled at me, before pressing a tender kiss to my lips. "You worry too much, dear."

I sighed, leaning into his shoulder while touching Aylin's tiny hand around the bottle. "I just can't help it."

"I know," he murmured, pressing another kiss to the top of my hair. "But you must trust me. Our daughter is healthy, and if anyone should babysit her for the night, it is Edward and Bella. He is a doctor, after all."

I smirked and rolled my eyes. "Of course you would use that point to prove to me I'm overreacting."

"Well, it worked, didn't it?" he questioned raising an eyebrow before shifting his hold on Aylin to burp her carefully.

I sighed, but nodded as my hand rested on his forearm. My thumb grazed over the band of the watch I got him ten years ago that he still wore every day.

"I love you," I murmured before Aylin burped and made a sighing sound.

Carlisle smiled softly, rubbing soothing circles over our daughter's back before looking me in the eye. "I love you, too."

* * *

**Carlisle POV.**

* * *

Our anniversary party was slowly winding down, and the majority of the guests had already offered their final congratulations to me and Esme, cooed once more at Aylin, and then left.

_Ten years._

Despite cherishing every single day that I'd had with Esme, I still couldn't believe we'd been together so long. I shook my head, a wry smile on my face as I caught sight of Esme softly rocking Aylin in her arms, an adoring grin pulling at her lips.

Everyone had said I was crazy for asking her to marry me after barely knowing her for a month, and that she was even crazier for agreeing, but we'd proved our doubters wrong. Corny as is sounded, I'd known Esme was the one the minute she entered my office in the hospital.

My gaze settled on our daughter, her wide eyes, staring up at her mother's face in amazement as Esme cooed at her softly before her mouth pulled up into a gummy grin when Esme tickled her stomach.

After Esme's operation, we'd known that it would be near-impossible for us to have a child that was biologically ours. We'd discussed adoption or surrogacy, but had decided to wait and see which path God decided to set us on. And though it had taken a long time, our patience had worn off as He decided to bless us with a beautiful baby girl.

The love that Esme held for Aylin and me was outstanding. Every day with her, sharing in that love, was a blessing, and one that I didn't take lightly. I'd almost lost her before I'd even gotten her, and the fear that she or Aylin would be taken away from me was terrifying. To love passionately and without restraint was a lesson that we'd learnt early on in life.

I was jarred out of my thoughts by Edward patting me on the shoulder. He was my partner at Forks' Hospital, and Bella's husband.

"Are you ready to say goodbye to the little one for the night? This one's already dead to the world." I chuckled as I noticed Renesmee in his arms. She was asleep, with her face hidden in the crook of Edward's neck. The only thing that made her distinguishable was her bronze colored curls, the same shade as Edward's messy hair.

I glanced over at Esme to find Bella was beside her, the bag with Aylin's things for the night tucked underneath her arm.

"I am, but I don't know whether Esme is. We both want some alone time, but the thought of not having Aylin here…" I trailed off, not wanting to offend Edward by making it seem as though I didn't trust him. I did, but nerves about not having our daughter here, in our care, were starting to make an appearance.

Edward only smiled knowingly. "She'll be fine, and so will you and Esme once you're relaxed. Every parent gets these jitters." A laugh slipped from between his lips. "I remember the first time we let Charlie babysit Nessie. It took Bella an hour before she calmed down enough to even let Charlie get ready to head home. Then she called him every ten minutes for two hours afterwards. In the end, I had to unplug the phone and hide her mobile and the car keys."

"I can see Esme doing the same thing." We both laughed together as Esme fussed over Aylin a little more. "I think it's time you headed off, while she's still relatively calm."

"Bella, love, it's time we got these two little ones to bed." Edward carefully took the bag from her so she could reach out for Aylin.

Esme hesitated, and then passed Aylin to me so I could say my goodbyes.

"Hello, beautiful." Sleepy grey eyes flickered up to meet mine as I carefully stroked her soft cheek. "Be good for your Uncle Edward and Auntie Bella tonight. I love you."

She blinked at me, her tiny forehead creasing in confusion before she yawned, her miniature hands reaching up to touch my large one that still rested against her cheek.

"I think she's all ready for bed."

Bella reached out once again, and I felt Esme tense up beside me as I placed our daughter into Bella's ready arms.

"She'll be fine, Esme." I kissed her forehead, and then wrapped my arm around her waist as we walked Bella and Edward to the door. "Thank you for looking after her."

Edward only smiled as he shifted Renesmee on his shoulder, and Bella leant forwards to kiss Esme's cheek softly.

"It's our pleasure. You need a night to yourselves. Esme, if you need to, don't hesitate to call. I know what it's like on that first night." She grinned conspiratorially. "Mothers always worry more than the fathers. It's part of the job description. She'll be fine."

"I know, I just…" Esme sighed and leant into my chest. "I'm just nervous. I trust you both. Drive safely."

"We will." Bella smiled again. "She'll be back before you know it. I bet she'll sleep the entire night, you won't be missed by her."

They turned to leave, and Aylin started to fuss.

Little whimpers left her mouth, as she struggled, before they developed into full blown wails when Esme wasn't the one holding and soothing her.

"Aylin," Esme's voice was choked up as Bella turned back and handed her over. "Shhhh, honey, it's okay. Mummy and daddy are still here. You're okay…"

Her soft murmurs worked, and after exercising her lungs, Aylin finally settled back into sleep, tears glistening on her red cheeks.

"Maybe we were wrong to do this so soon, Carlisle. Maybe we should do this another night, when she's bigger? When she won't be so upset at leaving."

"Esme, love, she's only fussing because of the cold. She'll be fine staying with-"

"I know, but look at how quickly she woke up just then. What if she wakes during the night and neither of us are there and-"

I took Esme's worried face into my hands and kissed her lips softly to silence her. "You're overthinking it. Aylin's been away from us before. Granted, not a whole night, but she'll be fine. If there are any problems, Edward and Bella will know how to deal with it. They've been through this before, so they'll probably be better at coping than we would be."

I tried to smile so that she'd feel calmer, but on the inside I was panicked and worried too. I hated the thought of Aylin or Esme being upset, and I was worried that Aylin would wake up in the middle of the night feeling scared or upset because neither of us was there.

"Are you sure?" Esme's voice broke and my resolve wavered. "I feel so guilty, like we're shipping her off."

Luckily, Edward saved me from having to answer. "She knows when you're not there, Esme, just like you know when something's happened to her. It's perfectly natural. The cold will wake her a little, but once she's tucked up in the car and then in bed, she'll be fine. I promise you, she's perfectly safe."

Doubt started to fill her eyes, but she nodded and took a deep breath as she kissed Aylin's forehead and then handed her over to Bella, spinning to bury her face into my chest as they said their goodbyes once again and left.

No cries echoed back towards the house as they headed for their car, which was a little ways down our drive, and I felt my unease lower slightly.

"She'll be fine, love."

Once they'd pulled away and their lights had faded into the distance, I shut the door and kissed the crown of her head. "She'll be back much sooner than we think."

* * *

**Esme POV.**

* * *

It was fairly early the next morning when I woke up. The light spilled into the room from the gap between the drapes; most of it landing on my side of the bed, forcing me to wake me up. I sat up lazily, rubbing my eyes as I did, before glancing over to the clock. It was a little after seven; the normal time I woke up to feed Aylin. Yawning, I tried to smooth down my hair as I looked to my right to find Carlisle still sleeping soundly. He was on his side, facing me, but looked as though he was about to roll onto his stomach any moment from the odd angle he was currently in. The hair that was normally pushed back from his face had fallen forward shielding his eyes from my view. His face, however, looked calm and at ease as he slept. I knew he was worried about Aylin as he tossed and turned last night. I, myself, was still worried about our sweet girl. Carefully, I leaned over and pushed Carlisle's hair away from his forehead and pressed a gentle kiss to the skin there.

"I'll just be downstairs," I murmured softly, just in case he was conscious enough to hear me, but he didn't stir.

I slipped out from the bed and grabbed my robe before leaving the room. Its hue matched the dark blue material of the nightgown I wore, but it was made of silk and fell to my knees once it was tied around my waist. I walked quietly throughout the house towards the kitchen. We had taken the time to clean up some once I had finished panicking about Aylin for roughly three hours after Bella and Edward took her to their home. Carlisle let me call Bella four times, but after the fifth call, he calmly took the phone away and assured me nothing was wrong with our daughter.

Of course, I still worried, but it was a little better after that.

I got down to the kitchen feeling odd that Aylin wasn't on my left hip like she usually was in the morning. The wine glasses were lined up on the counter ready to be cleaned since they were not dishwasher friendly like the rest of the plates, cutlery, and trays that were now clean and ready to be put away. I had also managed to do a load of table clothes, but there was still another I had to do, plus a second with the napkins which would bleed out the red onto the white table clothes if I did them together. I also noted we needed to vacuum as some guests brought their children who had left crumbs everywhere from the entrées. I rubbed my hands over my face again as I leaned on the counter by the sink. It was odd getting a full eight hours sleep without having to get up in the middle of the night to nurse Aylin or change her. She has gotten better at sleeping more now that she was older, but sleeping through the entire night was a rare occasion.

"You're up early," I heard Carlisle muse before the sound of his footfalls entered the kitchen.

I turned around to see him dressed in a pair of pajama bottoms and an old shirt of his. It pulled across his chest tightly and strained against his shoulders. There was a hole on the left side from when he snagged in on a nail, and light yellow paint splotches from when we pained Aylin's nursery. His hair was semi pushed back, but a few strands tumbled forwards against his forehead, and into his eyes.

I chewed the side of my cheek, and shrugged. "I'm always up the early, I suppose."

Carlisle came further into the kitchen and he brushed my hair back over my shoulder before kissing my forehead. "Good morning, dear."

"Good morning," I murmured back, resting my hands on his warm chest, but then reached out to tuck back a lock of his hair.

The soft thud of his heartbeat was soothing underneath my palms. After almost losing him so early on, we didn't risk a single day we had with each other. Even if it was completely mundane and boring, we still cherished and appreciated it, even more so now that we also had Aylin.

"How are you feeling?"

I shrugged, but then regarded him seriously. We had always promised to tell each other the full truth, and I wasn't about to start hiding things from him now.

"I'm still nervous. We haven't heard from Bella or Edward this morning, and I'm just worried that something's happened and that we don't kno-"

He chuckled and placed his fingertips over my lips to cut off my panicked babble. "Edward and Bella are probably rushed off of their feet dealing with two young children and haven't felt the need to call us. If there was a problem, they would have let us know, dear."

I sighed, knowing he was right, and rested my head against his chest.

"It just feels odd without her here."

He echoed my sigh and wrapped his arms around my waist. "I feel the same way, dear." His fingers tilted my face up to meet his so he could brush his lips against mine. "She'll be back soon. But we can't sit around moping. Let's get started on our day. What do you want for breakfast?"

"I'm not-"

The stern, doctor look that had caught my interest back when I was a student crossed his features, and I bit my tongue. There was no use arguing once he set his mind to something, and breakfast every morning was one of those things Carlisle had been fighting to get me into ever since we started dating.

"I'll have some fruit. I think we still have a carton of strawberries that we didn't use yesterday."

His face brightened up as I agreed to eat, and a brilliant smile fixed itself to his lips. _That_ was why I didn't push the issue. Simple, little things made him happy, and that in turn made me happy.

And besides, when I didn't fight the breakfast issue, he never fought me over my choice of dessert.

I pushed up onto my tiptoes so I could kiss him lightly again, and smiled when Carlisle kissed me back with a lot more enthusiasm than before. It had been a little over four months since Aylin's birth and almost six months since we'd last made love, so we were both feeling a little frustrated and tense.

"I love you."

My words were a soft mumble against his lips as he held my face between his palms, his fingers softly caressing my cheeks before he pecked my lips once more, and then released me.

"I love you, too."

His arms wrapped back around me as I tried to step away, and I giggled.

"Breakfast, remember?"

"It can wait. I need to kiss my beautiful wife one more time."

I made a face, and then laughed as he pressed a sloppy kiss to my cheek.

"Please, love."

"Nope. My strawberries are waiting."

Carlisle threw back his head and laughed. "It won't hurt them to wait a while longer. Come on, Esme." He nipped at my earlobe, and I shuddered before eyeing him seriously.

"Just a kiss?"

He winked. "If that's all you want, then that's all I shall give."

* * *

**Carlisle POV.**

* * *

I couldn't stop my eyes from wandering away from the countertop and across to Esme, to watch the gentle sway of her hips as she walked, and the way her soft curves were emphasized as she bent forward to look in the fridge.

I knew she was self-conscious about her body since having Aylin. Despite her desires to have a large family, after everything we'd been through and then the actual pain of the labor, I think she was a little scared to have sex again, just in case she ended up pregnant.

But try telling that to my body. I loved my wife and respected her wishes, but every kiss, every hug, made my desire spike like I was a horny teenager.

Last night, we'd kissed and caressed each other for a long time, growing used to the feel of each other's bodies once again, without any interruptions. We'd done so a few times before, but usually Aylin woke up, crying for her bottle or a cuddle. Last night, we'd also stopped before any clothes were removed, and that had left me wanting and desperate for a release.

That kiss hadn't helped things. I was having a hard time keeping my excitement under control, and watching Esme as she moved around the kitchen only made my situation worse.

So, I was glad when my toast popped up and I was able to escape to the dining room where I could hide my problem.

"Carlisle?"

Esme's voice was soft, and her face was worried as she entered the room soon after me, a bowl of freshly washed strawberries in her hands.

"Yes, dear?" The strain was clear to hear in my voice as Esme entered the room and sat next to me, innocently pulling her housecoat tightly around her body as she did so.

"Have I done something to upset you?"

"Upset me?"

Her large, brown eyes were filled with anxiety and worry as they met mine and she nodded. "You seemed… off in the kitchen. Is my fussing over Aylin too much?"

"No!" I shook my head adamantly and cupped her face with my hands. "No. I'm just a little… tense this morning is all."

I leant in to kiss her lips, reassuringly, and had to force myself to pull away.

A slight flicker of desire lit up her eyes as I did so, and she leant forwards to press her lips to mine again briefly. "I love you."

I grinned. "I love you, too. Here." I picked up one of the large strawberries she'd washed, dipped it in the small pot of sugar she'd also brought in, and then held it up to her lips so she could take a bite.

"Mmmm." Esme's eyes closed in bliss, and my jaw dropped.

Such a simple, little movement and reaction caused every dirty thought I'd ever had to flood my mind as Esme's lips closed around the strawberry before she bit through it cleanly.

"Carlisle? Carlisle?"

Something snapped in front of my face, and I jerked to find Esme watching me amusedly.

"Can I finish my strawberry? You've been alternating between staring at me and it for close to five minutes now."

"No."

"No?" Shock flitted across her features as I shook my head and dropped the strawberry back into the bowl.

"Love, I'm sorry, but no." I shook my head and pulled her into my lap so that my arms could wrap tightly around her soft waist. "I need you." My voice was a gentle whisper by her ear before I dotted light kisses down her neck. "I can't hide it anymore."

Her breath caught, and though one hand lifted to rest against my chest, she didn't push me away. Instead the other lifted to tangle into my hair.

"But Aylin…"

"Won't be back here for another few hours."

"We have washing up and laundry to do too…" Her arguments were weak, and she didn't stop me when I leant forwards to press my lips to the edge of her mouth, but she didn't respond either; and that made me freeze and pull back, my arms automatically releasing her waist.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have pushed."

My voice was apologetic as I tried to calm my body down and ignore the obvious erection I'd gotten from being pressed against her soft curves. As a doctor, I knew that it was useless, but in this case, it was all I could do.

"No," Esme's voice was equally as soft as her small hands caught my chin and forced me to meet her gaze. "Don't apologize. You just surprised me, and," She swallowed nervously. "I feel fat and horrible and I don't want you to see me while I'm still like this."

My eyes widened. "Like what?"

"All flabby and-" My lips cut off her protests. "You. Are. Beautiful." Every word was punctuated with a light peck to her cheeks, the tip of her nose, or the edge of her mouth. "I have always thought that you were beautiful, and I _will_ always think that, because you _are_."

She flushed under the intensity of my gaze, but nodded. "I just worry. I see the way that the receptionists at the hospital eye you up, and I feel like a whale next to them, sometimes. God knows I adore Aylin, and I wouldn't give her up for the world, but I also get scared sometimes."

I nodded and wrapped my arms around her waist tightly. "I get scared, too. I worried about that at the beginning, too, when we first got together. I was terrified that there would be someone out there who was better suited to you in some way, and that you'd regret agreeing to marry me so quickly. But do you know what I learned?"

She stared into my eyes, and I felt an easy smile form on my face.

"I learned to take each day one at a time and to not let those unnecessary worries get to me. I love you, and you, by some strange twist of fate, love me back."

She smiled this time. "I do."

"Let me show you how much I love you."

I hadn't meant to bring our conversation back around to sex, but desire flared in her eyes too as well as she nodded in agreeance, and then allowed me to lift her into my arms and head into the front room.

"It's been a while since we made love on the couch. I think it's time we rectified that."

"Carlisle!" Her voice was breathy as she laughed and pushed at my chest. "Someone might see!"

I chuckled. "No one can see."

"Yes, they can!"

I laughed and began to pepper light kisses along her neck. "Trust me, love, they can't."

"If Mike gives us any weird looks, you'll be sleeping on the couch for a week."

Esme's voice was stern, but humor shone in her eyes as she pulled my mouth down to meet hers and we collapsed onto the sofa.

Her skin was incredibly soft as my hands slid up her thighs, taking the soft, cottony material of her nightgown along with them.

"I can't wait to feel you, Esme."

A light shudder ran through her body as she leant back so I could pull the material free from her body, and then she was reaching for my shirt.

Her fingers were gentle, but determined as she made quick work of my top, and then my pajama pants were being pushed down my legs hurriedly as I tugged at her panties.

Fast and hard was not how I'd been planning for this to go, but once I saw her laid out along the sofa, her tanned skin standing out against the cream colored cushions, my desires for a slow, lengthy lovemaking session disappeared. I wanted that, but I also just wanted to be inside of my beautiful wife.

A little apprehension showed in her eyes, and I paused as I ran my hands over her skin. "We don't have to do this if you don't want to, love. If you're not ready."

"No." Esme's voice was strong. "I'm ready."

Our mouths met softly, and her arms circled my waist, pulling me down so that I had to move to hover over her.

"Are you sure?"

A slight shiver ran through her body as I let my teeth nip lightly at her collarbone and my hand slid down her side and over her slightly rounded stomach to softly stroke between her legs, I didn't want our first time together since Aylin's birth to be painful or filled with regret.

A light moan escaped her lips and her back arched ever so slightly, spurring me on to move my fingers a little faster. Once her hips began to rock against my hand and her moans began to speed up, I slowed the pace of my movements before stopping completely and moving to lie between her spread legs.

Her eyes met mine as I moved forwards; loving and trusting as her hands clutched at my hips to help guide me forwards.

_This_ was perfect, slowly becoming one with the woman I loved and cherished above all others.

Slowly, I pushed forwards, and then pulled back, immediately missing the warmth of her body.

"Carlisle,"

Esme's soft moans spurred me on as I drove deeper into her body each time, the pace increasing as she wrapped her legs around my waist and began to rock her hips against mine.

A soft tremor ran through my body, and despite how quickly my orgasm was approaching, I smiled and rested my face into the crook of Esme's neck as I pulled back and drove into her a little harder than before.

Her loud moan and thrust in return made my body tremble, and my hands lowered from beside her head where I'd been supporting my weight to clutch at her hip, lifting her even further so I could push deeper into her body with my thrusts.

"Esme, love, are you- are you-"

Soft pants left her mouth as she clutched at my back, her nails digging into my skin for a moment before she cried out softly and trembled, her body clamping down around my pulsing cock. I kept thrusting as she climaxed and trembled, until my own release swept through me, and I collapsed against her, both of our bodies covered in a light sheen of sweat.

"I- Wow." A light laugh escaped Esme's lips as she tried to catch her breath and ran her fingers through my hair while we waited for our breathing to slow and calm.

"Amazing." My face lifted from her shoulder so I could stare down into her eyes. "You were amazing. I l-"

The phone suddenly shrilled, startling us both out of the relaxed mood we'd created, and tension filled Esme's body as we pulled apart and sat up.

"Oh my, what if something is wrong with Aylin?" Panic filled Esme's features as I quickly stood and made my way over to the phone.

"I'm sure it's nothing. Hello?"

An automated message greeted me, offering me the chance to erase all my debt if I only followed their three easy steps.

Esme relaxed as I chuckled and hung up.

"It wasn't Bella or Edward?"

I shook my head. "Telemarketers."

"Oh." Her cheeks tinged with pink as she glanced away, and then she giggled. "We need to wash these cushion covers."

* * *

**Esme POV.**

* * *

I tied my housecoat around my waist before addressing the cushion covers, as Carlisle pulled on his pajama bottoms. My nightgown had ended up somewhere. After a quick glance around the room, I found it under the piano, in the corner, by the bookshelves. Carlisle's shirt was not far from it.

I giggled, unable to control the sound bubbling up within me, before looking towards my husband as he gave me a questioning look.

"It's like when we first moved here from England," I explained motioning towards the scattered clothes while piling up the covers in Carlisle's waiting hands. "When Edward came over and found my underwear on the couch. God, he wouldn't let that go for weeks!"

Carlisle smiled at me and leaned over to press a chaste kiss to my lips. "I miss that old couch. So many fond memories,"

"Well, you might have some more interesting memories of this couch if we catch Mike giving us weird looks," I murmured while turning to round the edge of the arm, and head downstairs where the washer and dryer were kept.

"That is just cruel, dear," Carlisle huffed behind me as we padded down the stairs.

I hummed in response while looking over the pile of clean clothes on top of the old table in the middle of the laundry area. It was left here by the previous owners and was too large to fit through any of our doors. It was too much of a hassle to remove so we'd kept it down here over the years. It was good for folding laundry on, or just dumping the basket to fold later like I had last night.

I frowned, picking at what looked like a wine stain on the white table cloth, as Carlisle threw in the cushion covers and set the machine for a gentle cycle.

"Why are you frowning?" he asked as I scratched at the stain.

"Someone spilt their wine," I admitted, lifting the fabric to show him. The fresh scent of the lemon laundry soap filled the air with the sudden movement of the large amount of material. Carlisle padded over and inspected the stain for himself.

"Oh, that is unfortunate," he murmured.

I rolled my eyes. "Do you honestly care?"

He smiled at me and let the fabric drop back onto the table. "It was a nice table cloth, I will admit, but, it won't be dearly missed, I am sure. We can always get another."

I put my hands on my hips. "That was your grandmother's table cloth."

He looked at it again more closely. "Oh. So it is."

I threw a sock at him. "She will be furious to find out how little you care about this."

He gasped, feigning shock. "Esme Cullen, did you just throw a sock at me?"

I threw another. "Here, now you can help me fold this mess."

I reached over to grab one of his cotton shirts when Carlisle caught my hand gently, so I turned in his hold. My back hit the edge of the table as his strong body engulfed mine; a hand resting on either side of my hips, keeping me trapped against his chest. He blinked at me, and his eyes lowered towards my lips as if asking for an invitation. I leaned up and placed a tentative kiss to his lips. He leaned further down to ease the height difference between us as his hands eased forwards brushing the material of my housecoat ever so slightly. I opened my mouth a little more to shape around his own, letting my tongue guide itself into his mouth, tasting. Carlisle caught my bottom lip between his teeth gently; his fingers finding the curves to my hips and caressing them. I touched his chest, one hand running against his pectorals while the other trailed down his abdomen, making Carlisle hiss with pleasure.

God, I loved the sounds this man made.

The kiss grew deeper; his hands tightened around my hips while mine drew around his back pulling our bodies flush together. When the need for oxygen became too much for me to handle, I pulled away slightly, only to have Carlisle's strong hands lift me suddenly onto the table. It creaked in protest to the added weight of a human being, and from the pressure Carlisle was applying while leaned against it. I caught his grey eyes and felt his hips against my knees not urging me to part them, but, merely asking for an entrance.

I cupped his cheek with my hand, and slowly pulled my knees apart and using my calves and feet to pull him closer.

"Esme," he breathed huskily as his hips rested between my highs again; I could feel his erection against my core, making me tremble from the sensation.

I kissed him lightly, urging him closer and securing my legs around his hips. "I need you,"

He groaned against my mouth; his fingers bunching in the material of my housecoat. I deepened our kiss again, moaning to the sensation of our tongues dancing together while my hands slipped to the tie around my waist. I undid it, quickly, and pulled the thin material over my shoulders, letting it drop into a pool of silk around my hips.

Carlisle pulled away from our kiss to look at me, and I blushed heavily under the weight of his stare. His hands found the small of my back, pulling me closer, and I really felt his erection pressing against the most intimate part of my body. Our eyes locked, and wordlessly, I worked the material down over his hips, and he stepped out of it once it fell to his ankles. Carlisle's breath felt hot against my face, and the heat from his own flesh warmed me in places I never thought a woman could feel warmth from until I met this man before me. Our bodies were so close, all that we needed to do was change the angle of our hips and he would sink right into me. I leaned back, trying to bring us together, when all at once the table creaked louder again and the legs broke under the pressure of our combined weight. We tumbled into the pile of clothing; the scent of lemons filling the air and mingling with our hysterical laughter.

Now, tangled in the table cloth, I looked up at Carlisle as he gazed down at me; the tip of his erection barely brushing against my aching flesh. I moaned, my eyes closing, my toes curling, and I reached out for him, needing to feel more. He eased forwards, slowly making my head spin.

"Carlisle," I breathed his name as my hips bucked against his own. "Quit teasing!"

He chuckled, a glint of amusement in his darkened eyes, and slowly pushed the rest of the way way in, filling me and making me moan louder, before easing out and repeating. The rhythm was slower than it had been upstairs, but was just as enjoyable. My hands caressed his back, feeling the muscles rippling with every movement as his hot lips pressed against my neck and collar bone. My legs wrapped around his hips, but my right was more around his waist than the left. He gripped the back of my thigh, his fingers strong, but not bruisingly so, as we thrust harder together; needier.

I was panting heavily in his ear, one arm wrapped around his neck while the other was around his back, as our pace quickened. I matched him thrust for thrust, having missed the sensation of our bodies together. The familiar tingling sensation I got in my lower gut, the feeling of his thick length within me, of how his skin felt against my own, how his breath came out in short, gasping pants or long moans; oh, how I missed it all.

I could feel the familiar excitement growing inside my body; the unbelievable pressure begging to be released. Our movements became more wild and frantic as we searched for the release we both needed. My nails dug into his back slightly, making him hiss and grunt in response. The wave of our combined organism washed over us both, and with one final, hard thrust, we screamed each other's names in that sweet release.

Carlisle fell forwards, covering my body with his own. He was careful not to harm me as his body relaxed and the blinding stars reseated. I was panting heavily into his hair, one hand fingering the strands while the other caressed the lines of his back.

"Oh…" I sighed heavily, feeling my body hum.

He kissed my neck, right below my ear. "God, I've missed you."

I nodded in agreement. "Oh – wow."

Carlisle gazed down at me before pressing a tender kiss to my now swollen lips as he eased our bodies apart reluctantly.

He settled beside me and chuckled. "I suppose we can fit that table through the door now."

I laughed, glancing back at the broken table. "I suppose you are right."

He buried his face in my hair and hummed. "I think we're going to have to do more laundry."

I nodded with a smile. "It was worth it. Edward and Bella will have to babysit again some time."

Carlisle kissed my nose. "Come, they should be here soon, and I don't think you want to answer the door dressed how you are."

I wrinkled my nose at him. "Must we now? I mean… the shower is pretty big…" I murmured suggestively while chewing on my bottom lip.

He laughed and sat up while shaking his head in amusement. "We best hurry, then, before they get here, hmm?"

I nodded eagerly and stumbled out of the mess of linins to find my housecoat that I lazily tied around my waist before running off to the bathroom upstairs with Carlisle hot on my heels.

* * *

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